Xiang Shi left the Linxian Sect with a cold expression.
Fate hadn’t sided with him this time, so what?
This ending wasn’t so bad after all.
Xin Xiu wasn’t in a hurry to leave the main hall. Between her two fingers she held the city distribution map of the Kuxing Sect, the poison markings on her arm clearly visible.
The map slipped from her grasp, touched the ground, and turned to ash.
The disciples had assembled, and Xin Xiu arrived just in time.
Their expressions were solemn as their voices rang through the air, “Disciples greet the Senior Sister, greet the Young Sect Master.”
Xin Xiu swept her gaze across the crowd. Her expression was stern, her voice cool and clear as she stated her purpose in one sentence, “The Elders will soon return to the sect.”
Silence fell over the crowd.
This was the first time Xin Xiu had shown her true face. Ever since she’d entered the sect, she had worn a mask at all times.
At first, no one paid it any mind, until she became the Sect Master’s closed-door disciple. Rumors came thick and fast, yet she never once thought to come forward and refute them.
A few days later, the sect established a new rule.
A new rule, for a single person.
What was her background?
Though the rumors diminished, they still saddled her with the unjust label of being illegitimate.
Now, there were more than a few who couldn’t stand her.
Black robes, black hair, a long sword in hand.
Her voice was like a clear spring, brushing across the heart.
Lin Wenxiao felt his heart grow restless.
This wasn’t the first time.
“For the welcome banquet, Sui Xuan, you handle the arrangements,” Xin Xiu said.
Sui Xuan was lively and outgoing, one of the most popular disciples in the sect.
“Got it.” Her voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
Xin Xiu brought up the sensitive topic with a blank expression, “Secondly, the Sect Trials are approaching. Everything proceeds as usual.”
The crowd below wore varied expressions.
Before they could react, Xin Xiu continued, “Activate the formation.”
They were baffled.
In an instant, a golden formation enveloped the entire Linxian Sect. The crowd began to stir, whispering among themselves.
“Shh.” Xin Xiu pressed her index finger to her lips, her expression calm.
The crowd fell silent, leaving only a piercing sound coming from afar.
Everyone turned to look, only to see several disciples straining together to drag an iron cage from a distance.
The cage was as massive as a high-tier spirit beast, just looking at it sent chills down one’s spine, for this cage carried a legendary history of its own.
Lin Wenxiao, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xin Xiu, leaned in. He raised his hand to cover his mouth and whispered a few words into her ear.
A sharp eagle’s cry tore through the sky.
A disciple who had been by their side day in and day out suddenly transformed into a colossal demonic beast. Those around him recoiled in shock and, driven by instinct, launched attacks at the beast.
Under the formation’s suppression, the beast had no power to fight back. The attacks landed squarely on its body, blood staining its wings crimson.
Xin Xiu crooked her finger at the beast, and a powerful force dragged it forcibly toward the cage.
One by one, the demonic beasts hidden within the sect were forced to reveal their true forms under the formation’s power, some even stopped pretending altogether.
The formation worked against them, and with the enemy outnumbering them, they gathered together rather than fight alone.
The disciples’ expressions turned grim.
The companions they’d lived with day and night turned out to be the most despised demonic beasts. They no longer cared about brotherhood, hatred filled their hearts.
The beast standing at the front spread its massive wings, shielding its companions behind it.
Its fur was a mix of black and red, its wings full and imposing, its presence overwhelming.
Xin Xiu raised an eyebrow and mouthed a single phrase at the beast, “Crimson Flame Bird.”
The Crimson Flame Bird, one of the five leaders of the demon race. Its strength was formidable, and the flames it breathed reached temperatures no ordinary person could endure. It had once been hailed as the Messenger of Fire.
The Crimson Flame Bird cried out several times to the sky, as if sending a message to the outside world.
A formation disciple sneered, “Don’t waste your breath. This formation was prepared specifically for you. Even the Demon Emperor himself couldn’t save you now.”
The Crimson Flame Bird’s expression grew darker. Its eyes locked onto the mastermind behind this scheme, and it nearly ground its teeth as it said, “You don’t want to go down with us either, do you?”
Xin Xiu looked as if she’d just heard the funniest joke. A hint of mockery curled at the corner of her lips, “Are you going to walk in yourselves, or shall we escort you in?”
At that, the disciples readied themselves to ‘escort’ them in.
The Crimson Flame Bird tried to negotiate with Xin Xiu, “I’ll go with you. Let them go.”
Their eyes met, and in the silence, sparks of killing intent clashed.
“It seems you’ve chosen the latter.” Xin Xiu said sharply, “Take them all.”
The Crimson Flame Bird’s gaze burned with the desire to skin Xin Xiu alive.
The formation disciples hidden in the shadows activated their power simultaneously, triggering another formation that trapped the demonic beasts.
“Go down together?” Xin Xiu drawled, drawing her long sword, “Don’t lose the bait along with the fish.”
The Crimson Flame Bird communicated with its companions in their own language.
Its companion hesitated, “But the Demon Emperor…”
The Demon Emperor had said that if they were ever exposed, they should self-destruct immediately, that would be their greatest contribution to the demon realm.
The Crimson Flame Bird said firmly, “Our lives matter more.”
Seeing its companion’s hesitation, the Crimson Flame Bird felt deep pain.
Worried that someone in the Linxian Sect might understand their language, the companion deliberately lowered its voice and whispered beside the Crimson Flame Bird.
The Crimson Flame Bird listened, and its companion’s words only added fuel to the fire. “No. Do you even know what you’re saying?”
The other companions unanimously agreed to the plan. The Crimson Flame Bird, seeing the situation before it was powerless, could only comply.
When they looked up, they saw Xin Xiu’s meaningful smile.
“No need for the trouble.” The Crimson Flame Bird transformed into human form and led its companions toward the iron cage, its steps growing heavier with each stride.
The cage was locked, and disciples pushed it into the dungeon.
One of the five leaders of the demon race, now reduced to such a state.
A bird in a cage, a beast in a trap.
The Crimson Flame Bird slumped in the iron cage, its gaze hollow and lifeless, like a pool of stagnant water, as if no hope could be seen.
Sui Xuan sidled over from the side, throwing an arm around Xin Xiu, her voice barely containing her excitement. “Senior sister, you’re amazing! When Master returns to the sect and learns of this, he’ll be overjoyed.”
The world was in turmoil, and the three realms were far from peaceful.
The farce had ended, yet they still wore worried expressions.
Complaints and questions came one after another.
“Using such underhanded tactics, are they trying to start an all-out war?”
“Maybe it’s not just our sect; other sects might have demons lurking too.”
“How did they slip past the inspections and get into the sect?”
“Could they have killed sect disciples and taken their places?”
“I’d advise you to read fewer storybooks. Where would they get such abilities?”
The disciples’ casual chatter caught Xin Xiu’s attention. She said, “All disciples of every branch, take note: within three days, search every place under the sect’s jurisdiction. Don’t leave a single corner unchecked. Report any anomalies immediately.”
Xin Xiu’s words pulled them back to reality. This matter carried great weight and had to be taken seriously.
“Now, aside from this matter, let me make things clear.” Xin Xiu’s expression turned grave. “As far as I know, there are still many people planted by various factions hiding within the sect. All of you, stay well hidden.”
“Those disloyal to the sect will be dealt with according to sect rules and expelled from the sect, no exceptions.”
Expulsion was the primary punishment; whether they’d leave alive was another matter entirely.
Xin Xiu’s implication was unmistakable.
…
In the dungeon, the lighting was sufficient and the environment clean.
The Crimson Flame Bird heard the commotion, smoothed away the worry between its brows, and slowly sat up straight.
Xin Xiu opened the cell door and walked in.
“You recognized my Crimson Flame Bird clan at a single glance.” The Crimson Flame Bird’s unruly spirit surged, mingled with growing hatred. “What’s your background?”
A hundred years ago, when the five leaders of the demon race fought among themselves, the Crimson Flame Bird clan suffered the tragedy of near-total annihilation.
That day, the sky was red as blood. The sacred demon tree worshipped by the Crimson Flame Bird clan was consumed in a sudden sea of fire, and countless lives were lost.
That war had no victors, the dead were dead, the wounded wounded, and the poor innocent beasts perished unjustly.
The Crimson Flame Bird clan vanished without a trace from then on.
Instead of answering, Xin Xiu asked, “How long have you been in the sect?”
The Crimson Flame Bird didn’t understand. She kept her mouth shut and said nothing.
A token suddenly appeared in Xin Xiu’s hand. Chi Jing lowered her head to look, it read: “Chi Jing, seven years.”
“A sword cultivator.” Xin Xiu’s tone was calm.
Chi Jing touched her waist and found it empty. She leaned against the wall, quietly watching Xin Xiu, murderous intent flashing in her eyes.
Xin Xiu tossed the token onto the Crimson Flame Bird. “In seven years, how much information have you siphoned out of this sect?”
“Plenty. For example…” Chi Jing crossed her arms, feigning thought. “At the last sect examination tournament, your disciples’ movements were exposed completely. Though you can’t really blame us for that.”
She picked up the token from her body, tossed it aside, and began to fan the flames: “After all, they were the ones who spoke first. The terms they offered, no one would refuse them.”
Xin Xiu naturally understood who the Crimson Flame Bird meant by “they.”
When profit was right before their eyes, what brotherhood was there to speak of?
So the Linxian Sect was targeted, and not a single participating disciple survived.
Xin Xiu’s gaze darkened.
Chi Jing felt immense satisfaction, for this was the Linxian Sect’s greatest humiliation in recent years.
“Their deaths are all thanks to you. Your Linxian Sect is unforgivable, someone was bound to seek retribution.” She smiled provocatively, as if forgetting she was still in a dungeon.
Xin Xiu walked toward Chi Jing, cornering her against the wall. She drew a dagger and pressed it to Chi Jing’s neck, her gaze sharp and fierce.
Chi Jing sensed the genuine killing intent from the person before her, and it only excited her more. She grabbed Xin Xiu’s hand and guided the dagger toward her own chest. “Stab here.”
Chi Jing dared to infiltrate the Linxian Sect because she had the backing of the Crimson Flame Bird clan, the entire demon race. She was certain Xin Xiu wouldn’t dare touch her.
Moreover, if word spread that demon beasts lurked within the Linxian Sect, the immortal realm would surely descend into chaos.
Xin Xiu indeed didn’t dare kill the Crimson Flame Bird, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t harm it.
She moved the dagger away from Chi Jing’s body, and in the blink of an eye, with a twist of her wrist, the blade plunged into the Crimson Flame Bird’s left shoulder.
Chi Jing never expected Xin Xiu to actually make a move. She drew in a sharp breath, glaring viciously at Xin Xiu.
Xin Xiu even had the courtesy to straighten Chi Jing’s robes. She rose calmly. “Since you’ve given me such a surprise, by all rights, I should return the favor.”
“The great fire on the day the Crimson Flame Bird clan was wiped out, it wasn’t an accident, wasn’t a natural disaster. It was man-made.”
“It was…” Xin Xiu shifted her tone. “You may already have an answer in your heart, but the hidden truth behind it is something you don’t yet know.”
She didn’t continue speaking, simply smiled, and turned to leave.
Chi Jing snorted coldly. “As expected of the senior disciple of the Linxian Sect, your methods are exactly like the sect’s, full of lies.”
From the moment Xin Xiu recognized her identity, no, from the moment she entered the Linxian Sect, she had already sensed that Xin Xiu was no ordinary person.
How could someone who had never left the Linxian Sect know about the demon realm? Chi Jing wondered.
She drew her dagger, and the wound on her body healed on its own.
She raised the dagger to her eyes and examined it back and forth.
Memories pulled Chi Jing back to that night, the night of the massacre.
On the surface, it was a dispute over the Five Heads, but the true purpose was only one: to eliminate the Crimson Flame Bird clan.
Her parents had their wings torn off, her people were scattered and displaced, corpses littered the fields, and blood flowed like rivers.
In a single night, the Crimson Flame Bird clan was razed to the ground.
Chi Jing survived by sheer luck. She hid and endured in silence for decades, even letting minor demons trample over her.
It wasn’t until the Demon Emperor summoned her back, restored her clan’s position, and the Crimson Flame Birds returned to the Five Heads.
Chi Jing was deeply grateful to the Demon Emperor.
But she knew, there was no such thing as charity; everything was bound by mutual benefit.
The Demon Emperor told her the whole story in detail, and those words she still remembered vividly to this day. “The Linxian Sect has developed a secret technique specifically to control demon beasts. They’re trying to stir up infighting within the demon realm, so they can take the opportunity to launch an attack on the demon race.”
Chi Jing was half-convinced.
When the demon race was preparing to plant spies in the Linxian Sect, she volunteered.
She had been here for seven years and searched for seven years, yet she still hadn’t found the secret technique the Demon Emperor spoke of.
She didn’t understand the Demon Emperor’s intentions, so she could only obediently carry out her mission.
Even now, recalling these things still pained Chi Jing.
Night fell.
Chi Jing finished her disguise, then calculated the time and melted the iron lock open.
A thunderous boom echoed.
The dungeon showed signs of collapsing.
With the following crashes, the dungeon could no longer hold and began to cave in.
Chi Jing seized the moment and left.
At a corner, two people collided head-on. The black-clad figure steadied Chi Jing and quickly covered her mouth.
A faint fragrance emanated from the black-clad figure. Chi Jing recognized it as unique to the Trace Pavilion, and she nodded.
Chi Jing didn’t have time to think further; she silently followed the black-clad figure.
A few li outside the sect, the two parted ways.
The black-clad figure looked toward the dungeon. The fire was raging, gradually spreading.
Disciples sleeping soundly were startled awake and rushed frantically to put out the fire.
The black-clad figure’s pupils darkened.
A disciple urgently pounded on Xin Xiu’s door. “Senior disciple, something terrible has happened, the dungeon is on fire!”
Lin Wenxiao, who was heading toward the dungeon, slowed his steps. He thought for a moment, something was wrong.
Lin Wenxiao arrived at the dungeon and grabbed a random disciple. “Did everyone inside get out?”
The disciple said, “The disciples on duty have already evacuated safely.”
Lin Wenxiao asked again, “Is there anyone else inside?”
“The senior disciple just-”
Before he could finish listening, Lin Wenxiao’s mind went blank. Without a second thought, he charged straight in.
The disciple had no chance to stop him.
Smoke swirled thickly, stinging Lin Wenxiao’s eyes until he couldn’t open them. He covered his nose and mouth, bent low, and pressed forward, the deeper he went, the fiercer the fire grew.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. He turned around, and the person he’d been thinking of appeared before him. He let her hold on.
“Careful.” Lin Wenxiao pulled Xin Xiu back, but he lost control of his strength, and she stumbled into his arms.
Lin Wenxiao froze in place, his heartbeat unconsciously quickening.
The pillar that was the dungeon’s only support collapsed, and the two were swallowed by the sea of flames.
Lin Wenxiao felt the world spin for an instant, then the blurry scene before him returned to normal, only to find a crowd surrounding him.
The first thing he met was Xin Xiu’s gaze as she crouched in front of him.
Lin Wenxiao pushed himself up with one hand on the ground. Facing a group of concerned people, he waved his hand. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
The night was growing late, and some disciples were already yawning.
Xin Xiu said to everyone, “Go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, representatives from each sect will gather for a meeting.”
The disciple in charge of the dungeon glanced at the ruins to the side and felt too awkward to go rest. “This…”
Xin Xiu waved her hand, shooing them back. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
Only two figures remained before the dungeon.
“In the future, think twice before doing anything that puts your life in danger.” Xin Xiu smiled at the young man across from her. “Go back.”
Lin Wenxiao acted as if he hadn’t heard.
Xin Xiu watched the soot-covered young man standing there stiffly, not saying a word.
She tilted her head up slightly. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Wenxiao curled his index finger and wiped the ash from Xin Xiu’s face.
Both of them were visibly startled.
Lin Wenxiao turned his head away, not daring to meet Xin Xiu’s gaze.
And that gesture exposed his slightly reddened ears completely.
“Can’t sleep?”
“Mhm.”
Xin Xiu reached out her hand toward him.
Lin Wenxiao didn’t understand, but he carefully placed his hand in hers.
Xin Xiu turned his hand over and held it firmly. “Close your eyes.”
Lin Wenxiao obediently did as told.
Until Xin Xiu let go of his hand.
Lin Wenxiao slowly opened his eyes.
Mist swirled around them, and a gentle breeze brushed past.
He stood frozen in place. The two of them were standing on a mountaintop, overlooking all the lesser peaks below.
Xin Xiu stroked the bare branches of a tree and channeled spiritual energy into it.
In an instant, the tree burst into full bloom, flowers drifting in the wind.
A warm golden sun rose, its light spreading across half the sky and falling upon the young woman as she walked toward him against the glow.
She extended her hand to him. “Would you like to take a stroll?”
A voice in his heart told him he shouldn’t, yet he inexplicably agreed.
A gentle breeze brushed their faces as the two drifted away with the wind.
A waterfall cascaded down from the mountainside, churning up layers of mist, and within it lay a hidden world.
Parting the mist, butterflies came fluttering toward them, carrying the scent of flowers.
The refreshing fragrance filled the air and lingered long after, as if imbued with a magic that could dispel fatigue and ease both body and mind.
Lin Wenxiao’s thin lips moved slightly as he murmured, “Why have I never seen such beauty in the sect?”
A cool, clear female voice reached his ears. “Because ordinary people dare not approach this place.”
Dare not approach…
There was only one place in the sect like this, called the Shuangyu.
Seeing the disbelief in Lin Wenxiao’s eyes, Xin Xiu said softly, “Just as you think.”
Upon hearing the answer, Lin Wenxiao’s hand hidden beneath his sleeve trembled slightly, and he suddenly felt this place was utterly repulsive.
Sensing Lin Wenxiao’s unease, Xin Xiu made up an excuse to lead him away from the place.
Though it was all in the past, he still could not bring himself to face it.